The importance of a support staff

Last month, I went inside my bank expecting to conduct business with a bank representative only to be told I need to pick up a phone and talk to a video camera. I was expecting a professional representative with a personal touch; however, I received impersonal service with a prison like atmosphere. What would make a business give up a personal touch for less? Today, in any business whether large or small being a Receptionist, Secretary, Administrative Assistant, Bank Teller or any support staff personnel requires one to be professional, polite and courteous.

This is the first representation and impression that customers have of the business and the upmost professionalism should be portrayed. It may be via telephone, face-to-face, email, webcam etc. however it comes, the company should be portrayed in a positive light. The support staff plays a very vital role in any business. As we all know, the support staff is the very first contact of a business that can help the discontinuity or the creation of a business. The support staff should always consider one’s self as if they were potential customers obtaining or requiring information from another business.

So why would my Fortune 500 bank, which emphasis customer service, would wish to alienate its customers with a prison like atmosphere? I was told it was for safety. However, I do not believe that safety to the extent it causes a negative atmosphere is more important than a personal touch or professionalism. Support Staff’s Involvement to a Business Should Not Be Underestimated The support staff the majority of the time is the last to be recognized. Developing a good rapport between supervisors and support staff is very much needed to today’s business world.

Because of new technology a lot have changed over a period of time, which lightens the load (in some instances) of the support staff. The support staff is always there to assist in any way possible. A successful relationship with the support staff can and in most cases lead to a thriving business. “ Above all, be polite and considerate, never sarcastic. A well-pleased “ thank you” is appropriate and appreciated. The rewards you will reap from this common courtesy approach will be well worth the effort” (Hamm, 1997, p14).

Supervisors/managers should spend more time building a rapport with support staff opposed to playing the role of monitoring employees. Also, making rules and changes just to improve he/she has some form of authority. Some managers often view their support staff as diminutive and fail to see their importance. Gulati along with two of General Electric’s marketing executive’s implemented four fundamental roles; the instigator, the innovator, the integrator and the implementer. (2010, pgs. 1 and 2) “ If you’re tied down by your job description, you restrain your impact.

It’s self-limiting behavior. It becomes a vicious, self-fulfilling prophecy. ” (Nobel, 2010, p. 1) The Importance Support Staff’s Involvement Bare on a Business Upon reading the article “ Employee involvement in performance improvement: A consideration of tacit knowledge, commitment and trust” A research from six major British companies divulged results from qualitative and quantitative conclusions. The intent was to express the high excellent performance of employees, but yet facing the complications and commitment of improving their performance.

“ Three particular concepts emerged as pivotal – the individual focus on process improvement for generating new forms of interaction at work, the importance of employee tacit knowledge for contributing to process improvement, and a new form of trust based on mutual interest between employees and management as a crucial intermediary variable contributing to commitment. ” Champions of the TQM movement have traditionally been rather critical of performance appraisal — Deming called it ” of the deadly diseases plaguing Western management”, and recommended abolition. (Cruise, 1995 p. 2)

Lucien Moons wrote an article entitled “ The Importance of Training Your Staff” the intent of this article is to display how vital training staff weighs on a business. Any business whether large or small objective isn’t just for appearance, but also profit. It is one that wants to be successful in today’s world. Proper training requires unity in order for the business to thrive. “ That is precisely why it is important to train your staff adequately. ” Many companies constantly train their staff, but the question that comes to mind is: why is training your staff important?

Support Staff’s Involvement Can Be Detrimental to the Business An employer not only wants the satisfactory outcome of its customers, but of the employees as well. “ Time Quality Management (TQM) is a continual process that requires total involvement by everyone in the company. The company’s management style was named The KEY Process. ” The Key Process also increases the confidence of the employees within the company. ” We always felt we were a quality organization, with a good quality-assurance program from a product standpoint,” says Hulsey.

The Investment in Excellence program did not discuss TQM. Instead, says Hulsey, it focused ” on people and ability, and how to deal with change on a persona] level. ” (Lamb, 1995 p. 41) One must also realize the pros and cons of conflict within an organization or a business. Conflict comes with the territory of thriving to achieve goals, which can affect communities as well as other entities involved with the organization or business. Conflict in a business does not always mean negativism.

Greater can also be a result from conflict within the workplace. “ While “ conflict” often has a negative connotation, the effects of conflicts within an organization can be positive and negative. ” Conflict can bring group members together and help them learn more about each other. From learning each other’s opinions on topics relevant to the organization’s growth to understanding each member’s preferred communication style, conflict within an organization can give members the tools necessary to easily solve conflicts in the future.

Conclusion Proper training is a MUST when it comes to the Support Staff. Remember the support staff is normally the first contact of an organization or business that potential customers see or hear. A first impression is everything, and it should be viewed as one being professional, courteous and polite at all times. Although there may be different functions of a business it has to operate in unity so the business can thrive to reach perfection to become a successful venture.